Healthcare

An acupuncturist is a licensed clinician who treats pain and other complaints by placing fine, sterile needles at selected points on the body, working from the pattern-based diagnostic system of Chinese and East Asian medicine. The job sits in outpatient care: solo and group clinics, integrative medicine programs, hospital departments and Veterans Affairs medical centers. Beyond needling, the toolkit can include cupping, moxibustion, electroacupuncture and herbal formulas where state scope allows. Pay spreads widely. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the May 2025 median wage at $76,040, with the 10th percentile at $38,830 and the 90th percentile at $161,470.

Anesthesiologists are physician specialists who render patients unconscious, sedated, or regionally anesthetized for surgical and procedural care, then monitor and manage their physiology throughout. Beyond the operating room, they run acute pain services, staff intensive care units, and direct chronic pain clinics across hospital and ambulatory settings. Training runs about twelve to thirteen years past high school, spanning undergraduate study, medical school, and a three-year residency, and the specialty pairs some of medicine's highest compensation with a physically demanding, high-stakes daily practice built on split-second judgment. Many surgical patients arrive with multiple comorbidities, which keeps physician-level oversight central to the job.

Barbers cut, style, and groom hair primarily for male clients, offering haircuts, beard trims, shaves, and hair treatments in barbershop settings. They combine technical cutting and grooming skills with the interpersonal ability to build a loyal client base, since return business and referrals drive the majority of a barber's income.

A cardiologist is a physician who diagnoses, treats and works to prevent diseases of the heart and blood vessels, from coronary artery disease and heart failure to rhythm disorders and valve disease. Cardiologists train in internal medicine first and then complete a cardiovascular disease fellowship. They work in hospitals, physician groups and academic medical centers, and their weeks divide among clinic, inpatient consults and testing or procedure labs. Some add interventional, electrophysiology or heart failure subspecialty training. In its May 2025 wage survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics put the median annual wage for cardiologists at $496,010, with the 25th percentile at $274,280 and the 90th percentile at $712,130.

Certified Nursing Assistants provide direct patient care under the supervision of licensed nurses, helping patients with activities of daily living, monitoring vital signs, and maintaining patient comfort and dignity in hospitals, nursing homes, and home health settings. CNAs spend much of every shift in hands-on patient contact and are often the first to notice a change in condition, making their reporting a key part of early clinical intervention. The role requires only weeks of state-approved training to enter, which makes it one of the most accessible paths into a healthcare career, and many CNAs use it as a stepping stone toward LPN or RN licensure while working full time.

A Chiropractor is a licensed doctor of chiropractic who examines, diagnoses and treats problems of the spine, joints and neuromusculoskeletal system, chiefly with hands-on adjustment, soft tissue work and rehabilitative exercise. The job sits in outpatient healthcare, in solo and group chiropractic offices, multidisciplinary spine clinics, hospitals and VA medical centers. Entry requires a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, national board exams and a state license. In May 2025 the median annual wage was $79,200, with the 10th percentile at $43,460 and the 90th percentile at $146,080, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A Clinical AI Implementation Specialist is the hospital or health-system staff member who puts AI tools, such as ambient documentation scribes and EHR-embedded prediction models, into clinical use: mapping workflows, coordinating local validation, training clinicians and monitoring performance after go-live. The role sits in clinical informatics or digital health, often reports to the chief medical or nursing information officer, and partners with EHR analysts, quality staff and the vendor. BLS does not track the title. For computer systems analysts in general medical and surgical hospitals, the occupation where O*NET files health informatics specialists, May 2025 pay ran from $67,330 at the 10th percentile to $137,190 at the 90th, with a median of $102,050.

Clinical Athletic Trainers are healthcare professionals who specialize in preventing, diagnosing, and treating musculoskeletal injuries and illnesses in physically active patients. They work directly with athletes in sports settings and with patients in clinical and occupational environments, serving as the first responder to acute injuries and the primary driver of rehabilitation programs.

A clinical laboratory scientist is the bachelor's-trained professional who runs, verifies and releases the diagnostic tests a hospital depends on around the clock: blood counts, chemistries, coagulation studies, cultures, crossmatches and molecular assays. The same job is often titled medical laboratory scientist (MLS) or medical technologist, and in a hospital it sits between the ordering clinician and the pathologist who directs the lab. BLS reports pay for this work under a combined technologist and technician occupation, with a May 2025 median of $62,930, a 10th percentile of $38,910 and a 90th percentile of $100,990.

Clinical Nutritionists assess clients' dietary habits and health goals, develop personalized nutrition plans, and provide counseling on food choices to improve health outcomes. The title 'nutritionist' covers both Registered Dietitians who have met specific educational and credentialing requirements and nutrition counselors with varied backgrounds, depending on the state's licensing laws.

Dental Assistants support dentists during patient procedures, manage dental instruments and materials, take dental X-rays, and handle administrative tasks that keep a practice running efficiently. They are the clinical backbone of a dental office, directly affecting the pace of patient care and the patient experience from first contact to post-procedure instructions.

A dental hygienist is a licensed clinician who delivers the preventive half of dentistry: assessing gum health, removing calculus and plaque, taking radiographs, applying sealants and fluoride, and teaching patients how to keep their mouths healthy between visits. They work chairside in dental offices and in settings such as public health programs, usually running a separate schedule of recall and periodontal maintenance patients while the dentist makes the final diagnosis. Entry usually requires an accredited dental hygiene program and a state license. BLS put the May 2025 median wage at $98,100, with the 10th percentile at $74,880 and the 90th at $126,050.

Dermatologists diagnose and treat conditions affecting the skin, hair, and nails, from eczema and psoriasis to melanoma and complex inflammatory disorders. Most practice in outpatient clinics, splitting time between medical dermatology (disease diagnosis and treatment) and procedural dermatology (biopsies, excisions, Mohs surgery, and cosmetic treatments), often blending both in the same day. Training requires medical school, an internship, and a three-year residency that is among the most competitive matches in medicine, plus an optional fellowship for Mohs surgery or dermatopathology. Compensation varies widely by practice setting and by the mix of medical and cosmetic work.

Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) assess, diagnose, and treat nutritional problems across the full spectrum of human health — from critical care patients requiring enteral nutrition support to outpatients managing diabetes through dietary change. They work in hospitals, outpatient clinics, public health organizations, sports nutrition, and food service management, applying evidence-based nutrition science to individual patient and population-level outcomes.

An EMT and Paramedic is a prehospital clinician who answers 911 and interfacility calls, assesses and treats sick or injured patients, and moves them to a facility that can handle the problem. EMTs work at the basic life support level; paramedics add a wider range of medications, advanced airway management and EKG interpretation. The work happens in ambulances, fire apparatus, hospital transport units and aircraft, under physician medical direction and a state license. BLS counts EMTs and paramedics as one broad occupation: in May 2025 its median annual wage was $48,150, with the 10th percentile at $36,000 and the 90th at $76,810.

Estheticians provide professional skincare services including facials, chemical peels, waxing, and skin treatments designed to improve and maintain clients' skin health and appearance. They work in day spas, salons, medical offices, and resort settings, combining technical treatment skills with product knowledge and client consultation to build a loyal service clientele.

A Health Care Social Worker assesses and supports patients and families through illness, injury and treatment, handling the social side of care: coping with a diagnosis, coverage problems, home safety and the plan for life after discharge. The job sits inside hospitals, dialysis units, hospices, home health agencies, cancer centers and primary care practices, alongside nurses, physicians and case managers. BLS lists a master's degree as the typical entry-level education, and licensing requirements vary by state. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $67,880 for healthcare social workers nationally, with the 10th and 90th percentiles at $46,220 and $100,360.

A health educator designs, teaches and evaluates programs that help patients and communities prevent illness and manage chronic conditions. In healthcare, Health Educators work in hospital patient education departments, community benefit offices, outpatient clinics and diabetes programs, alongside nurses, dietitians and community health workers. The federal occupation is Health Education Specialists, which BLS reports had a May 2025 median wage of $64,070, with $42,990 at the 10th percentile and $118,200 at the 90th. The usual entry point is a bachelor's degree, and NCHEC awards the Certified Health Education Specialist credential.

A Healthcare Forward Deployed Engineer is a vendor-side software engineer who embeds with hospitals, physician groups and health plans to put an AI product into production. The job combines customer discovery with hands-on integration work: connecting models and agents to EHRs through FHIR and HL7 interfaces, wiring payer workflows such as prior authorization, building evaluation sets from the customer's own cases, and supporting go-live. It sits between the customer's IT and clinical teams and the vendor's product engineers. BLS has no category for the title; for the closest match, Software Developers employed by software publishers, it put the May 2025 median at $164,550, with a 10th percentile of $82,180 and a 90th percentile of $218,330.

An industrial pharmacist is a pharmacist who works inside drug manufacturing rather than at a pharmacy counter, applying pharmaceutical science to how medicines are made, tested, released and documented. The role sits in quality assurance, manufacturing operations, product development, regulatory affairs and medical information at brand, generic and contract manufacturers. The work is governed by FDA's current good manufacturing practice rules in 21 CFR Part 211, which give the quality unit authority to approve or reject components and finished batches. For pharmacists employed in pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing, BLS reports a May 2025 median wage of $138,800, with the 10th and 90th percentiles at $122,450 and $169,630.

Industrial Pharmacy Managers lead pharmaceutical quality, manufacturing, or regulatory teams within drug companies, contract manufacturers, and biotech organizations. They are accountable for department performance, GMP compliance, regulatory agency relationships, and the technical and professional development of their staff — translating pharmaceutical standards into operational systems that keep products safe and approvals intact.

A licensed practical nurse, called a licensed vocational nurse in some states, provides basic clinical care under the direction of registered nurses and physicians: giving medications, checking vital signs, dressing wounds, collecting specimens and reporting changes in a patient's condition. LPNs work in nursing and residential care facilities, hospitals, physicians' offices, home health and correctional settings, and on long-term care units they may run the medication pass and lead the nursing assistants. The credential takes a state-approved program of about a year plus the NCLEX-PN exam. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the May 2025 median wage at $64,400, with the 10th and 90th percentiles at $49,740 and $83,440.

A Massage Therapist uses hands-on soft tissue techniques to relieve pain, ease muscle tension and support recovery from injury. In healthcare the job sits inside chiropractic offices, physical therapy practices, integrative clinics and hospital programs, where the therapist works from a referral or a stated complaint and charts each visit; the same state credential also covers spa and resort work and private practice. Entry takes a postsecondary massage program and, in most states, a license or certification. BLS reports a May 2025 median wage of $58,450 for massage therapists, with the 10th percentile at $33,640 and the 90th at $100,200.

Medical and Health Services Managers plan, direct, and coordinate the business operations of hospitals, clinics, physician practices, and other healthcare facilities. They build and track budgets, hire and supervise staff, keep departments compliant with CMS and Joint Commission standards, and translate quality and financial data into operating decisions. The role spans practice managers overseeing a single physician group to hospital executives running multi-department budgets, and can include evaluating where AI tools fit into routine administrative work such as scheduling, coding, and prior authorization.

A medical assistant handles the clinical and administrative groundwork of outpatient care: rooming patients, taking vital signs, collecting specimens, giving injections where state law allows, charting in the EHR and scheduling follow-ups. Medical assistants work under the direction of physicians and other licensed providers, chiefly in physicians' offices, hospitals and outpatient care centers. National certification comes from bodies including the AAMA, AMT, NHA and NCCT, and some states, Washington among them, run their own credential. BLS data for May 2025 put the median annual wage at $45,690, with the 10th percentile at $36,050 and the 90th at $59,310.

A Medical Biller and Coder assigns diagnosis and procedure codes to patient encounters, turns them into insurance claims and follows each claim through payment, denial and appeal. The role sits in the revenue cycle of hospitals, physician practices and billing services, between the clinical record and the payer. BLS counts coders within medical records specialists, an occupation with a May 2025 national median wage of $51,140, a 10th percentile of $37,000 and a 90th percentile of $81,150. BLS says the occupation typically requires a postsecondary certificate, and coding credentials include AAPC's CPC and AHIMA's CCS.

Medical Equipment Repairers — formally known as Biomedical Equipment Technicians (BMETs) or Clinical Engineers — inspect, maintain, calibrate, and repair the medical devices used in hospitals, clinics, and imaging centers. They keep everything from patient monitors and infusion pumps to MRI machines and surgical robots operational and within safety specification.

A Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) runs routine clinical tests on blood, urine and other specimens, generally under the oversight of medical laboratory scientists or laboratory managers. MLTs staff hospital core labs, reference laboratories and physician office labs, loading analyzers, checking quality control, reading smears and releasing results that physicians act on. The role sits one tier below the bachelor's-level scientist, and an MLT can later bridge to that credential. Estimated pay runs from about $38,910 to $62,930, with an editorial midpoint of $50,920, because BLS reports technicians and technologists as one occupation.

A Medical Records Technician keeps the patient record complete, correctly coded and locked down. Working in hospital health information management (HIM) departments, physician offices, coding vendors and health system back offices, the technician reviews charts for missing documentation, enters and classifies data in the electronic health record, handles release-of-information requests and often assigns diagnosis and procedure codes. BLS counts the job as Medical Records Specialists (SOC 29-2072). In May 2025 the median wage was $51,140, with the lowest 10 percent earning under $37,000 and the top 10 percent above $81,150.

A Medical Secretary handles the administrative side of a physician practice, clinic or hospital department: the provider schedule, referrals and insurance authorizations, incoming records, correspondence and a steady stream of patient calls. The role sits between clinicians, patients and payers, and federal statistics count it with medical administrative assistants in a single occupation. In May 2025, BLS reported a median annual wage of $45,930 for that occupation, with the 10th percentile at $35,930 and the 90th at $60,530. Medical terminology and records knowledge separate it from general office work, and BLS projects growth for this corner of the secretarial field through 2035.

Medical Supply Managers oversee the procurement, inventory control, and distribution of medical supplies, equipment, and pharmaceuticals across hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities. They balance cost management with product availability, ensuring that clinical staff always have the supplies they need while minimizing waste and keeping purchasing costs within budget.

A Medical Transcriptionist turns recorded physician dictation into the formal reports that enter a patient's chart: histories, discharge summaries, operative and imaging reports. Today much of the job is editing drafts produced by speech recognition software, checking each one against the audio for wrong terms, missing words and inconsistencies before it goes back to the clinician for signature. Transcriptionists work for physician offices, hospitals and transcription service companies, and the work can be done from home. BLS puts the May 2025 median wage at $40,410, with the lowest 10 percent under $28,250 and the top 10 percent above $55,950.

A medical writer turns clinical trial results, safety data and scientific literature into documents that regulators, investigators, journal editors and clinicians rely on: protocols, clinical study reports, submission summaries, manuscripts and education materials. The work sits inside pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors, contract research organizations, medical communications agencies and device companies, usually alongside biostatistics, clinical operations and regulatory affairs. Federal wage data files medical writers under technical writers, an occupation with a May 2025 median of $90,390 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Regulatory specialists, publications writers and freelancers all fall under the same title, with pay spread across a wide band.

An MRI technologist operates magnetic resonance imaging scanners to produce the diagnostic images a radiologist interprets, covering brain, spine, joint, body and cardiac exams. The role sits in hospital radiology departments, outpatient imaging centers and physician offices, and it centers on a magnet that never switches off. On a typical exam the technologist screens the patient for implants and metal, chooses the coil, positions and coaches the patient, runs and adjusts the sequences, and injects contrast when ordered. BLS puts the May 2025 median wage for MRI technologists at $95,480, with the 10th percentile at $68,890 and the 90th at $127,670.

A Nail Technician is a licensed personal care worker who cleans, shapes and finishes fingernails and toenails: manicures, pedicures, gel polish, and acrylic or hard-gel extensions. BLS classifies the job as manicurists and pedicurists, and the work happens in nail salons, spas and hair salons, with a small number of jobs in health care offices. Infection control is a core part of the job, from pedicure basins to single-use files. Entry runs through a state-approved training program and a state licensing exam. In May 2025, BLS put the occupation's median pay at $35,760 a year, with the 10th percentile at $28,920 and the 90th at $50,140.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are advanced practice registered nurses who independently administer anesthesia for surgical, obstetric, diagnostic, and pain management procedures. They are the primary anesthesia providers in rural hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers across the U.S. and hold full practice authority in a growing number of states. Nearly 70,000 CRNAs now practice nationwide, and a tightening training pipeline combined with a wave of projected retirements keeps demand and pay elevated heading into 2026. Median pay has climbed alongside that demand, and rural hospitals in particular continue to depend on CRNAs as their only anesthesia providers.

Nurse Attorneys hold both an RN license and a law degree (JD), and practice at the intersection of clinical healthcare and law. They work in healthcare litigation, regulatory compliance, healthcare policy, medical malpractice, and risk management — bringing clinical expertise that pure legal practitioners cannot offer to cases and issues where understanding what happened clinically is the entire question.

A nurse midwife, credentialed as a certified nurse-midwife (CNM), is an advanced practice registered nurse who provides prenatal, birth, postpartum and gynecologic care, from a first pregnancy visit through menopause. CNMs work in hospital labor units, physician and midwifery practices, community health centers and birth centers, and call in an obstetrician when a pregnancy moves outside normal. The Bureau of Labor Statistics put the median wage for nurse midwives at $134,040 in May 2025, with the 10th percentile at $93,620 and the 90th at $188,320. The role requires an RN license, a graduate degree from an ACME-accredited program and certification from the American Midwifery Certification Board.

A nurse practitioner is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who examines patients, orders and reads tests, diagnoses conditions, and prescribes treatment as a primary or specialty care provider. NPs hold an RN license plus a graduate degree, a national certification in a patient population such as family, adult-gerontology, pediatrics or psychiatric-mental health, and a state APRN license. They work in physician offices, hospitals, outpatient centers and independent practices, and in some states they practice without a physician agreement. The median annual wage was $132,300 in May 2025, with the lowest 10 percent under $101,340 and the top 10 percent above $174,420, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Obstetric Nurses, also called Labor and Delivery Nurses, care for pregnant patients during labor, delivery, and the immediate postpartum period. They monitor fetal wellbeing, support laboring patients through the birth process, assist physicians and midwives during delivery, and provide immediate newborn care in one of the most time-sensitive environments in clinical nursing. Demand for the specialty stays strong even as hospital labor and delivery units close in many rural and low-volume counties, concentrating births and acuity at the units that remain open.

An obstetrician and gynecologist (OBGYN) is a physician who cares for patients through pregnancy and childbirth and diagnoses, treats and helps prevent diseases of the female reproductive system. The specialty combines office medicine, labor and delivery coverage and operating-room surgery, so one physician may place an IUD in the morning and perform a cesarean that night. OBGYNs work in private groups, hospital-employed practices, academic departments and community health centers, and some go on to subspecialty training in fields such as maternal-fetal medicine. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual wage for obstetricians and gynecologists at $292,910 as of May 2025.

Occupational Therapists help people regain, develop, or maintain the ability to perform meaningful daily activities: from dressing and bathing after a stroke to returning to work after an injury. They evaluate functional deficits, design treatment plans, adapt environments and tasks, and train patients and caregivers in assistive technology across hospitals, outpatient clinics, schools, and home health settings. BLS projects employment to grow much faster than average through 2035.

An occupational therapist assistant, credentialed nationally as a COTA, carries out treatment plans written by a supervising occupational therapist, coaching patients back into the daily tasks an injury, illness or disability took from them: dressing, bathing, cooking, writing, returning to work. The therapist evaluates and sets goals; the assistant runs the sessions, adjusts the activities, and records progress. The work happens in therapy practices, skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, schools and patients' homes. The Bureau of Labor Statistics put the median wage for occupational therapy assistants at $72,300 in May 2025, with the lowest 10 percent under $51,490 and the top 10 percent above $89,780.

An Oncologist is a physician who diagnoses cancer and directs its treatment, choosing chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted drugs or radiation and managing patients from staging through survivorship. Medical oncologists, the subject of this page, train in internal medicine and then in a medical oncology or combined hematology-oncology fellowship. They work in hospital cancer programs, community oncology practices and academic cancer centers, coordinating care with surgeons, radiation oncologists and pathologists. BLS does not report oncologist pay separately; for its Physicians, All Other occupation, the May 2025 wage survey shows a 25th percentile of $102,930, a median of $265,930 and a 90th percentile of $452,360.

An oncology nurse is a registered nurse who specializes in caring for people with cancer, from the first infusion through transplant, survivorship or end-of-life care. The work happens on inpatient oncology units, in outpatient infusion centers, radiation oncology departments and stem cell transplant programs, where the nurse gives antineoplastic drugs, watches for reactions, manages central lines and teaches patients what to expect at home. Pay follows the registered nurse scale: BLS reports a May 2025 median of $97,550 for registered nurses, with the 10th percentile at $68,940 and the 90th at $137,470. Specialty certification comes from the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation.

An ophthalmic technician works up eye patients before the ophthalmologist sees them: taking the history, measuring vision and eye pressure, instilling dilating drops, and running imaging and visual field tests. BLS tracks the job as Ophthalmic Medical Technicians (SOC 29-2057), and O*NET defines the role as assisting ophthalmologists by performing ophthalmic clinical functions. The work happens in ophthalmology practices, optometry offices, surgery centers and hospital eye clinics, and credentials come from IJCAHPO's COA, COT and COMT ladder. In May 2025, BLS put the median annual wage at $45,570, with the 10th percentile at $35,700 and the 90th at $61,940.

Opticians translate prescriptions written by ophthalmologists and optometrists into properly fitted eyeglasses and contact lenses. They interpret prescriptions, help patients select frames, take facial measurements, order lenses, adjust and repair eyewear, and teach patients how to use and care for their corrective lenses. State licensing and ABO-NCLE certification establish competency standards for the field.

An optometrist is a Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) who provides primary eye care: measuring refraction, prescribing eyeglasses and contact lenses, and diagnosing and treating eye diseases such as glaucoma within the limits of state law. An optometrist works in independent offices, ophthalmology and multispecialty practices, optical retail, outpatient centers and VA clinics, and refers surgical cases to ophthalmologists. Every state requires a license. May 2025 BLS wage data put the median at $136,570 a year, with the 10th percentile at $74,870 and the 90th at $202,180.

An orthopedic surgeon is a physician who diagnoses and treats injuries and disorders of the musculoskeletal system: bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves. The work splits between the operating room, where they fix fractures, replace worn hips and knees, reconstruct ligaments and fuse spines, and the clinic, where some patients are managed with injections, bracing and therapy instead of an incision. They practice in hospitals, surgery centers, academic departments and physician groups. BLS put the May 2025 median wage for orthopedic surgeons (except pediatric) at $358,550, with the 25th percentile at $180,610 and the 90th percentile at $659,290.

Orthoptists are specialized allied health professionals who evaluate and treat disorders of binocular vision, eye movement, and eye alignment — conditions like strabismus, amblyopia, and diplopia. Working alongside ophthalmologists, they perform detailed motility examinations, design non-surgical treatment programs including patching and prism therapy, and assist surgeons with surgical planning for strabismus correction.

Pathologists are physicians who diagnose disease by examining tissue specimens, cells, blood, and body fluids, and who direct clinical laboratory operations that process millions of tests per year. They sign out surgical pathology cases, interpret cytology specimens, oversee laboratory quality programs, and serve as the diagnostic resource for clinicians navigating complex or ambiguous cases.

Pediatricians provide primary medical care to patients from birth through adolescence, managing acute illnesses, monitoring developmental milestones, administering vaccinations, and detecting early signs of chronic conditions. They work in private practices, hospital outpatient departments, FQHCs, and emergency settings, coordinating care with subspecialists, school systems, and mental health providers across their patients' childhoods. The role requires a medical degree, a three-year pediatric residency, and board certification through the American Board of Pediatrics. AI documentation tools and scribes are now common in outpatient pediatrics, though many pediatricians have voiced concerns about oversight and pediatric-specific safeguards.

A perfusionist runs the heart-lung machine and related extracorporeal circuits that take over circulation and gas exchange while a surgeon works on a stopped heart, and manages ECMO support for patients whose heart or lungs have failed. The job sits in hospital cardiac surgery teams beside the surgeon and anesthesiologist, and the working credential is the Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) from the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion. BLS does not report perfusionists separately, so the band shown is an editorial estimate built from public university and state pay tables effective July 2026, which the salary notes name.

A pharmaceutical scientist runs the laboratory, analytical and modeling work that turns a candidate molecule into a drug that can be dosed, manufactured, tested in people and approved. The job covers discovery pharmacology, formulation, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, and analytical development, and it sits inside drug and biotech R&D groups, contract research organizations, university labs and federal agencies. Federal wage data files the work under medical scientists, whose May 2025 median annual wage was $103,410. In the 2026 salary survey of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, the median base salary for U.S. members employed full time was $175,000. Day to day, the work is experiment design, data analysis and the documentation regulators expect.

A pharmacist is the licensed clinician who checks every prescription for safety before it reaches a patient, then explains how to take it. Pharmacists work behind the counter at chain, grocery and independent stores, inside hospital pharmacies and on clinical rounds, in clinics, specialty pharmacies, insurers and federal health systems. The job requires a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and a state license, and postgraduate residency training prepares pharmacists for hospital clinical posts. BLS put the May 2025 national median at $140,910, with the 10th percentile at $99,290 and the 90th at $174,230, across 321,970 employed pharmacists.

Pharmacy Technicians assist pharmacists in dispensing medications: filling prescriptions, managing inventory, processing insurance claims, and operating automated dispensing systems. They work under pharmacist supervision in retail pharmacies, hospital inpatient pharmacies, long-term care pharmacies, and specialty pharmacy settings, handling the technical and administrative work that lets pharmacists focus on clinical duties. Most enter with a high school diploma and on-the-job training or a short certificate program, and many then pursue CPhT certification. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects faster-than-average job growth through 2035, and hospital, prior authorization, and specialty pharmacy roles pay toward the top of the national wage range, while general retail entry-level positions sit closer to the bottom.

Physical Therapists evaluate and treat patients with musculoskeletal injuries, neurological conditions, post-surgical limitations, and movement dysfunction to restore mobility, reduce pain, and improve function. They build individualized treatment plans using therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, adjunctive modalities, and patient education, working across outpatient clinics, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, home health agencies, and schools. The role requires a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, national licensure exam passage, and state licensure before independent practice begins. Demand is projected to keep growing faster than average through the mid-2030s, and some practices are now testing AI ambient scribe tools to lighten the documentation load that has long followed a full day of patient care.

A Physical Therapist Assistant is a licensed clinician who carries out the treatment plan a physical therapist writes: therapeutic exercise, gait and balance training, manual techniques and patient education, documented visit by visit. PTAs work under a PT's supervision in outpatient clinics, hospitals, home health agencies and skilled nursing facilities. Entry requires an associate degree from an accredited program, a passing score on the NPTE-PTA and a state license or certification. BLS put the median annual wage for physical therapist assistants at $68,380 in May 2025, with the 10th percentile at $47,750 and the 90th percentile at $89,510.

A physical therapy aide is the unlicensed support worker in a physical therapy clinic or hospital rehab department. Aides clean and set up treatment areas, wash linens, help patients move to and from the therapy area, and handle phones, scheduling and supply orders, all under the supervision of a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant. The job sits below the licensed PTA rung: aides do not treat patients, and Medicare does not cover their services as therapy. BLS reported a May 2025 median of $35,240 a year, with the 10th percentile at $25,360 and the 90th at $47,780. Training happens on the job after a high school diploma.

A physician is a licensed medical doctor, holding either an MD or a DO degree, who examines patients, diagnoses illness and injury, orders and reads tests, and prescribes treatment. Physicians sit at the top of clinical decision-making in hospitals, group practices, community clinics, academic medical centers and government health systems, and they work with nurses, physician assistants and nurse practitioners on the care team. The role spans primary care and dozens of specialties. In May 2025 the Bureau of Labor Statistics put the median wage for its Physicians group at $271,090, with the 25th percentile at $137,900 and the 90th at $477,980.

A physician assistant (PA) is a licensed clinician who examines, diagnoses and treats patients, orders and reads tests, prescribes medication and performs procedures as part of a team with physicians and surgeons. PAs work in physician offices, hospitals, outpatient centers and specialty services from family medicine to cardiothoracic surgery, and a practice agreement sets how they work with physicians. Entry runs through a master's degree from an accredited program, the PANCE and a state license. The May 2025 BLS median wage for physician assistants was $135,880, with the 10th percentile at $99,380 and the 90th at $190,280.

Physician Office Assistants perform administrative and basic clinical support tasks that keep medical practices running — scheduling appointments, checking in patients, processing insurance information, rooming patients, taking vital signs, and supporting clinical staff with supply management and documentation. The role bridges front-office administrative work and limited clinical support, often requiring both people skills and basic medical knowledge.

A physician office manager runs the business side of a medical practice: staff, scheduling, billing, payer relations, compliance and the software that ties them together. The role sits between the physicians who own or lead the practice and the front-desk, billing and clinical support staff who keep the day moving. BLS counts these managers within Medical and Health Services Managers, and for that occupation in offices of physicians the May 2025 wage data put the 10th percentile at $64,730, the median at $105,770 and the 90th percentile at $274,990. BLS does not report office managers separately from practice administrators and executives in the same occupation.

Physician Recruiters find, attract, and help hire physicians and advanced practice providers for hospitals, health systems, and medical practices. They manage the full recruiting lifecycle — sourcing candidates, facilitating interviews, coordinating site visits, supporting contract negotiations, and managing the credentialing onboarding process — in a market where candidate supply consistently falls short of employer demand.

Physician Relations Managers build and maintain relationships between hospitals, health systems, and the community physicians who refer patients to them. They identify referral opportunities, address access and service problems that cause physicians to refer elsewhere, track referral volume data, and serve as the communication link between community practitioners and health system leadership.

Plastic Surgeons perform surgical and non-surgical procedures to reconstruct, repair, or alter the human body. Their caseload spans reconstructive work — post-mastectomy breast reconstruction, burn care, trauma repairs, hand surgery — and elective cosmetic procedures such as rhinoplasty, facelifts, and body contouring. The specialty demands technical precision in both the OR and the consultation room.

Podiatrists are physicians specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the foot, ankle, and lower leg. They perform surgery, prescribe medications, fit orthotics, manage diabetic foot complications, and treat sports injuries — serving patients across primary care clinics, hospital systems, wound care centers, and private practices.

Podiatrist Assistants support licensed podiatrists with clinical and administrative tasks in podiatric offices, wound care centers, and hospital-based foot clinics. They prepare patients, assist with procedures, perform routine foot care under supervision, process specimens, and maintain clinical equipment — freeing the podiatrist to focus on diagnosis, surgery planning, and complex decision-making.

Prosthetists design, fabricate, and fit artificial limbs for patients with amputations or congenital limb absence. They assess residual limb anatomy, select components, manage the fitting process through repeat adjustments, and train patients to use their devices. The work sits at the intersection of clinical rehabilitation and mechanical engineering, blending patient care with hands-on fabrication.

A Psychiatric Nurse is a registered nurse who cares for people being treated for mental illness and substance use disorders, in psychiatric hospitals, general hospital behavioral health units, outpatient clinics, crisis programs and residential treatment. The job combines mental status assessment, medication administration and side-effect monitoring, de-escalation, group teaching and discharge planning, with the nurse as the treatment team's steady presence on the unit. ANCC offers specialty board certification as PMH-BC. BLS does not track the specialty separately; for all registered nurses, May 2025 national pay runs from $68,940 at the 10th percentile to $137,470 at the 90th, with a median of $97,550.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor, either an MD or a DO, who diagnoses and treats mental illness, emotional disorders and substance use problems, combining medication, talk therapy and procedures such as electroconvulsive therapy. The work happens in hospitals, clinics, private offices, correctional systems and telehealth practices. After medical school they complete a four-year psychiatry residency, and a fellowship can follow for subspecialty work. The Bureau of Labor Statistics put the May 2025 median wage for psychiatrists at $281,870, with the 25th percentile at $154,150 and the 90th percentile at $446,520.

A psychologist is a licensed doctoral-level clinician who evaluates, diagnoses and treats mental, emotional and behavioral disorders through psychological testing, psychotherapy and consultation. In healthcare, psychologists work in group and solo practices, outpatient clinics, hospitals, rehabilitation programs and government health systems, often alongside psychiatrists, primary care physicians and social workers. They are trained to administer and interpret standardized psychological tests, which makes assessment a core part of the job. BLS data for clinical and counseling psychologists put the May 2025 median wage at $100,580, with the 10th percentile at $55,170 and the 90th at $180,960.

A Public Health Nurse is a registered nurse who protects the health of whole populations rather than one patient at a time. The job sits inside county and city health departments and state health agencies, with some roles in schools, tribal programs and nonprofits. Day to day it means home visits to new mothers, tuberculosis case management, vaccine clinics, outbreak follow-up and linking families to benefits. California restricts the title to nurses holding a state certificate. Pay follows government pay plans; our estimate puts staff roles at $58,000 to $108,000, with a typical midpoint near $78,000.

Radiologic Technologists, commonly called rad techs or X-ray techs, perform diagnostic imaging procedures including plain radiography, fluoroscopy, CT, and mammography. They position patients, operate imaging equipment, apply radiation protection protocols, and produce images that physicians use to diagnose injury and disease. Most work in hospitals, though outpatient imaging centers employ a growing share of the field as care shifts away from inpatient settings. The role requires an accredited associate degree, national ARRT certification, and in most states, a separate state license, with additional post-primary credentials available in CT, MRI, mammography, and vascular-interventional work.

A registered nurse is a state-licensed clinician who assesses patients, carries out treatment plans, gives medications and coordinates care. RNs work in hospitals, physicians' offices, home healthcare, nursing care facilities, outpatient clinics and schools, sitting between the physicians and advanced practice providers who order care and the licensed practical nurses and aides they direct. The license comes from a state board of nursing after an approved nursing program and a passing score on the NCLEX-RN. BLS put the median annual wage for registered nurses at $97,550 in May 2025, with the 10th percentile at $68,940 and the 90th at $137,470.

A Rehabilitation Counselor helps people with physical, mental, developmental or emotional disabilities prepare for, find and keep work, or live more independently. Counselors assess clients, write rehabilitation plans, line up job training and assistive devices, and help clients adjust to life with a disability. They work in state vocational rehabilitation agencies, community rehabilitation programs, hospitals, residential care facilities and insurance-related disability management. The usual path is a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling, with the option of the CRC credential awarded by CRCC. BLS reported a May 2025 median of $46,850 for rehabilitation counselors, with the 10th percentile at $35,060 and the 90th at $77,170.

A Rehabilitation Director runs a healthcare organization's therapy department, overseeing the physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology clinicians and assistants in a hospital, inpatient rehabilitation facility, skilled nursing facility or outpatient clinic network. The director owns staffing, the department budget, Medicare compliance, documentation quality and outcomes reporting, and answers to facility or hospital leadership. BLS counts the job within medical and health services managers, whose clinical managers oversee departments such as physical therapy. That occupation's national median wage was $123,860 in May 2025, with the 10th percentile at $73,390 and the 90th percentile at $224,340.

A respiratory therapist is a licensed clinician who assesses and treats people who have trouble breathing, from premature infants with undeveloped lungs to older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Therapists run ventilators, manage airways, give inhaled medications and perform tests such as arterial blood gases and pulmonary function studies, working alongside nurses and physicians. Most of the work sits in hospitals, in emergency rooms, critical care units and neonatal intensive care units, with smaller pockets in skilled nursing, clinics and home care. The Bureau of Labor Statistics put the median annual wage at $82,280 in May 2025, with the 10th percentile at $63,660 and the 90th at $118,050.

Respiratory Therapist Aides assist licensed Respiratory Therapists with equipment preparation, patient transport, supply management, and non-clinical support tasks in hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities. They work under direct supervision and do not perform clinical assessments or administer therapies independently, but their support enables licensed RTs to manage higher patient volumes more efficiently.

A School Nurse is a registered nurse who runs health services inside a K-12 school or district: emergency response, medication administration, chronic condition plans, screenings and immunization compliance. The role sits where the state nurse practice act meets education law, so the nurse practices under a nursing license while reporting to a principal or district health services leader. In public districts, pay may follow a district salary schedule. In May 2025, registered nurses employed in elementary and secondary schools earned a median of $69,340, with the 10th percentile at $48,010 and the 90th percentile at $103,310, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Sonographers, formally Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, use high-frequency sound waves to build real-time images of internal body structures that physicians use to diagnose disease. They perform abdominal, obstetric, vascular, cardiac, and specialty ultrasound exams, operating scanning equipment and producing diagnostic images that radiologists, cardiologists, and other physicians interpret. The role is operator-dependent: image quality depends directly on the sonographer's technique and anatomical judgment, not just the machine. Employers include hospitals, imaging centers, vascular labs, and cardiology and orthopedic practices, and demand is projected to keep growing well above the average for all occupations through 2035.

A Speech Language Pathologist is a licensed clinician who evaluates and treats disorders of speech, language, voice, fluency, cognitive communication and swallowing. In healthcare the job sits in acute care hospitals, inpatient rehab units, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient therapy practices and home health agencies, working beside physicians, nurses, dietitians and occupational and physical therapists. Entry takes a master's degree, a supervised clinical fellowship, a passing score on the national exam and a state license. BLS put the May 2025 median wage for speech-language pathologists at $97,870, with the 10th percentile at $62,900 and the 90th at $134,160.

A Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) carries out speech and language treatment that a licensed speech-language pathologist has planned, then records how each client performed so the SLP can decide what comes next. O*NET classifies the job as 31-9099.01, inside the broader BLS group Healthcare Support Workers, All Other. SLPAs work in schools, private practices, early intervention programs and clinics, and they do not evaluate, diagnose or write the plan of care. In ASHA's 2025 SLPA survey, respondents who reported gross annual income for their main job gave a median of $54,500. This page's estimated band runs from $34,770 to $71,470, the BLS 10th and 90th percentiles for the broader group.

The Speech-Language Pathology Clinical Fellowship (CF) is a mandatory 36-week mentored professional experience that bridges graduate training and full CCC-SLP certification. Clinical Fellows work as practicing SLPs — carrying caseloads, delivering therapy, writing documentation — under structured supervision from a certified SLP mentor who evaluates their clinical skills and professional development.

Speech-Language Pathology Supervisors are experienced, CCC-SLP certified clinicians who lead SLP teams in hospital systems, school districts, outpatient rehab groups, or university training programs. They oversee clinical quality, supervise Clinical Fellows and SLPAs, manage staffing and productivity, ensure regulatory compliance, and serve as the clinical resource for complex cases in their department or program.

Speech-Language Pathology Teachers are credentialed SLPs who teach clinical coursework, supervise student clinicians in university training programs, and contribute to the academic preparation of future speech-language pathologists. They bridge the classroom and clinic, holding both the CCC-SLP credential and academic or clinical faculty appointments in accredited SLP programs.

Sports Medicine Physicians diagnose and treat musculoskeletal injuries, exercise-related conditions, and the health needs of physically active patients across the lifespan. Most complete a residency in family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, pediatrics, or physical medicine and rehabilitation before a one-year sports medicine fellowship and CAQ certification; a separate surgical pathway runs through orthopedic residency instead. They work in primary care sports medicine clinics, with professional and collegiate athletic programs, and in orthopedic practices, focusing on non-surgical management of injuries, performance optimization, and return-to-play decisions rather than surgery.

Substance Abuse Counselors help individuals struggling with addiction to alcohol, drugs, or other substances work toward recovery through individual counseling, group therapy, and case management. They assess clients, develop treatment plans, facilitate evidence-based interventions, and coordinate with medical and social service providers throughout the recovery process.

Surgeons diagnose conditions requiring operative treatment, perform surgical procedures to repair injuries and disease, and manage patient care through the perioperative period. They work across dozens of specialties — from general surgery to cardiac, orthopedic, and neurosurgery — and practice in hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and academic medical centers.

Surgery Assistants — also called Surgical First Assistants (SFAs) or Certified Surgical First Assistants (CSFAs) — work directly alongside surgeons in the operating room to facilitate procedures by controlling bleeding, retracting tissue, suturing incisions, and maintaining a clear surgical field. They are distinct from scrub technicians: the first assistant has direct hands-on participation in the operative procedure itself.

Surgical Nurses — perioperative registered nurses — manage patient care across the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases of surgery. They assess patients before procedures, circulate in the operating room to coordinate care and ensure safety, and support recovery in the PACU. Surgical nursing combines clinical assessment, sterile technique, instrument knowledge, and rapid emergency response into a demanding specialty.

A surgical technologist is the scrubbed member of the operating room team who sets up and guards the sterile field, passes instruments and supplies to the surgeon, and runs the sponge, sharps and instrument counts with the circulating nurse. The job sits in hospital operating rooms, outpatient surgery centers and procedure suites, and the usual entry path is an accredited surgical technology program followed by national certification. BLS reports a median annual wage of $64,650 for surgical technologists in May 2025, with the 10th percentile at $45,940 and the 90th percentile at $96,940.

Telemedicine Nurses provide clinical nursing care remotely via video, phone, and digital health platforms — triaging symptoms, managing chronic disease, coordinating care, and supporting providers during virtual consultations. They combine traditional nursing assessment skills with technology fluency and must adapt their clinical evaluation to a setting where they cannot physically examine the patient.

A travel nurse is a registered nurse who signs short-term contracts, through a staffing agency or directly with a facility, to fill open shifts at hospitals and other care sites away from home. The clinical work matches staff nursing in the same specialty: assessment, medication administration, care plans and charting. What changes is the setting, which turns over with every contract, and the pay structure, which can pair a taxable hourly wage with housing and meal stipends. BLS does not report travel nurses separately. Registered nurses in employment services, the industry that includes staffing agencies, earned a median of $90,840 in May 2025, with a band of $47,740 to $151,530.

Urologists diagnose and treat conditions affecting the urinary tract and male reproductive system — including kidney stones, prostate cancer, bladder dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, and urinary incontinence. They are both medical and surgical specialists, managing many conditions with medication and procedures while operating on complex cases requiring open, laparoscopic, or robotic techniques.

Vascular Surgeons diagnose and treat diseases of the arteries, veins, and lymphatic system outside the heart and brain — including aortic aneurysms, peripheral artery disease, carotid artery stenosis, venous insufficiency, and acute limb ischemia. They practice as both open and endovascular surgeons, with many interventions now performed percutaneously through catheter-based techniques.

A veterinary technician is a credentialed clinical professional who performs the medical tasks a licensed veterinarian orders: lab work, radiographs, anesthesia monitoring, dental cleanings, medication administration and client education. Credentialing combines a veterinary technology program or another approved pathway, the Veterinary Technician National Examination, and a state credential such as CVT, LVT or RVT. They work in general practices, emergency and specialty hospitals, research facilities, shelters and teaching programs. BLS reports a May 2025 median wage of $47,380 for veterinary technologists and technicians, with the 10th percentile at $35,710 and the 90th at $63,180.

Vision Therapists work under optometrist supervision to deliver structured therapy programs that train the visual system to function more effectively. They treat conditions such as convergence insufficiency, amblyopia, strabismus, and vision-related learning problems using therapeutic lenses, prisms, and guided exercises that develop binocular vision, eye movement control, and visual processing skills.

Wellness Coordinators design, run, and evaluate health promotion programs for employers, hospitals, or community organizations. They schedule health screenings, manage wellness challenges and digital engagement platforms, and deliver health education to improve population health, cut absenteeism, and lower medical claims costs. Corporate roles tie program design tightly to self-insured benefit strategy and require regulatory literacy around HIPAA, GINA, and ADA. Hospital and community roles lean more toward screenings and outreach in underserved neighborhoods. The job blends health education training, program management discipline, and comfort working across HR, benefits, and clinical partners.

A Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse is a registered nurse who specializes in three linked areas: chronic and acute wounds, fecal and urinary diversions such as colostomies and urostomies, and bladder and bowel continence problems. WOC nurses work as consultants and direct-care clinicians in hospitals, outpatient wound centers, home health agencies and skilled nursing facilities, where they set skin-care protocols and teach bedside staff. They hold a bachelor's degree or higher and can certify through the WOCNCB, the specialty's certification board. BLS does not track the specialty separately; registered nurses overall earned a median of $97,550 in May 2025, with the middle 80 percent between $68,940 and $137,470.

Yoga Instructors design and lead yoga classes that combine physical postures, breathing techniques, and mindfulness practices for participants ranging from beginners to advanced practitioners. They teach in fitness studios, yoga studios, corporate wellness programs, hospitals, and rehabilitation settings — adapting instruction to diverse bodies, abilities, and therapeutic goals.

A youth counselor is a direct-care worker who supports children and teenagers living with emotional, behavioral or substance use problems, working in a residential treatment center, group home, juvenile facility or community behavioral health program. The counselor carries out treatment plans written by licensed clinicians, runs daily routines and skills groups, and steps in early when a young person starts to escalate. BLS files the closest match under Social and Human Service Assistants, which paid a May 2025 national median of $45,930, with the 10th percentile at $34,200 and the 90th at $63,290. Licensed therapists who treat youth sit in a separate, higher-paid occupation.